Well... my Beachtek 8 arrived today! And I could be expecting my Octava tomorrow (they e-mailed me to let me know they shipped it out 7/12 - priority mail).

My question is this: I am unfamiliar in how to operate this box - the directions aren't explicate enough for a novice like me so - What are the appropriate setting I should have on my Beachtek/Mic/and my camera (VX2000) to get the best performance and the best sound.

Thanks!

As low as you can go on manual settings onboard. I range from 20-25%. That usually results in about 7-10 on the dials. Limiters On. If you leave the settings on the camera higher, you will pickup a hiss (listen where it is quiet.)

George has it pretty well. The only exception would be for a dynamic mic and that will require a manual audio setting of 40% on the camera.

I never had to go over a 60% gain on the Beach. i've pretty well explained all the setup parameters in this writeup
DXA-8 (http://www.dvfreelancer.com/articles/beachtekDXA-8.html)

Thanks George & Brian!